“Where were you when it happened?” That’s what your grandchildren will ask you about the events of April 19, 2014, when the Capitals announced the trade of a 20-year-old WHL D-man for a pick that has a one-in-nine chance of having an NHL career.

Jaynen Rissling has played 273 games for the Calgary Hitmen, who were eliminated from the playoffs by the Kootenay Ice last month. Rissling now belongs to the Nashville Predators and everything has changed.

We are now living in the Post-Rissling Era. Adjust your calendars accordingly.

Nothing will ever be the same again. The Caps have made a big statement here. You wanted a big move? Here it is. Rissling’s bags are packed, and finally a bright future awaits the Capitals of Washington.

Some among our ranks wondered what the blockbuster trade meant for team management.

If the Caps made a trade (D Jaynen Rissling to Nashville for a 7th rounder) does that mean GM George McPhee is staying? #CapitalsTalk

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have acquired a seventh-round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft from the Nashville Predators in exchange for the rights to defenseman Jaynen Rissling.

Rissling, 20, registered 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) in 54 games with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. The 6’4”, 211-pound defenseman was drafted by the Capitals in the seventh round, 197th overall, in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Rissling recorded 117 points (23 goals, 94 assists) in 273 career WHL games.

Chandler Stephenson has been one of the most impressive Caps prospects this season (Photo: Derek Leung/Getty Images)

The first half of the 2013-14 season has been mostly positive for Washington Capitals prospects. Unknowns like Andre Burakovsky and Chandler Stephenson have shown real NHL potential, while the elder statesmen of the pool like Nate Schmidt and Patrick Wey, both coming off tremendous college careers, have made steps up the Caps’ depth chart.

However, top two Caps prospects will wish their first half was better: Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s injuries have limited his action and Tom Wilson has had a hard time gaining a meaningful role with the big club.

The feel-good story of the season so far has been Stephenson, who had been bugged by injuries in the past, but is now thriving in a veteran role as an offensive go-to guy for his team. I’ve got more on these stories and our full top-20 ranking below.

Washington Capitals’ 2012 seventh-round pick Jaynen Rissling, who impressed last year thanks to his grit and character, will return to his home province of Alberta for one more year with WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.

This year will be crucial for the development of the 6-foot-4, 223-pound defenseman as he’ll be playing not only for his team, but also for an entry-level contract with the Caps. And it’s gonna be a special year for him.

“I’ll probably be a captain there next year so it’s gonna be a lot of responsibility,” Rissling said to RMNB’s Ian Oland on the final day of Caps Development Camp. “I’m pretty excited about this kind of leadership change.”

The Hitmen, who lost in the conference finals to their arch-rival Edmonton Oil Kings in a seven-game heartbreaker during which the teams combined for 333 penalty minutes, were captained by centerman Cody Sylvester, who is no longer eligible for the junior league. Also moving on from Calgary are alternate captains defenseman Spencer Humphries, who has surprisingly chosen a contract from Lev Praha in the KHL over a tryout offer from his hometown Canucks; and Brooks Macek, who signed with the Iserlohn Roosters in the German DEL. Rissling is the only player from last year’s group of leaders who is likely to stay with the Hitmen. May, but not necessarily will.

Rissling, unlike many 2012-drafted CHLers, is eligible to play in the AHL this season. So it’s not yet a certainty that he’ll return to his junior squad. “Obviously, my goal is to keep getting stronger and faster over the summer and ultimately make Hershey,” he said. “But like I said if it’s not going to work out, I’m excited to go back to Calgary just for the leadership role and I think we’re gonna have another good team next year.”

The young defenseman wouldn’t be the first in his family to make it all the way to the big leagues. His uncle Gary participated in 221 NHL games, 37 with the Caps. “I think the day I got drafted, he was more excited than I was,” Rissling said. “Hopefully having a second Rissling come through here would mean a lot to my family. He was kicking around the rink here this week. I saw him and he said the same things, I gotta get meaner and I gotta get tougher to follow in his footsteps.”

Rissling will likely return to DC for training camp in September, and then we’ll learn his fate for the upcoming season.

Uncle Gary in a Caps alumni game last season. (Photo credit: Chris Gordon)

Jaynen Rissling, a punishing defenseman from Edmonton, has been hovering near the half-point-per-game mark all year. Last night Rissling set new WHL career-highs with three points and plus-6 rating in Calgary’s 9-5 win over the Saskatoon Blades.

Jaynen’s goal is at 1:20 mark. Video: Calgary Hitmen

Rissling is 39th among WHL d-men with 28 points in 60 games. He’s also 19th in WHL in plus-minus (plus-34) and 16th in penalty minutes (122). The Whalers are third in their conference with five games to go.

Tom Wilson has been impressive on a line with gritty playmaker Ryan Hartman and OHL’s second best goal-scorer, Vince Trocheck. Wilson had two points in Plymouth’s 4-1 rout of geographical rival Saginaw Spirit. The Whalers haven’t lost consecutive games since December.

Wilson’s assist (along with another Caps draft pick, Connor Carrick) is at the beginning of the video. Carrick’s fight is at 0:39 mark. Wilson’s nice goal is at 1:40. Video: Plymouth Whalers.

Despite missing part of the season due to injury, Wilson is 40th in point scoring (58) and 13th in penalty minutes (104). His plus-36 ranks 3rd in OHL. His teammate Carrick is 9th in OHL defenseman scoring with 43 points.

Around the 13-19 second mark, watch as Rissling uncomfortably mouths a few words of Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and also hangs symbolic mistletoe — which in this case is his jockstrap — in his locker. I’m sure Karl Alzner is proud of his former team.

Notably, the Caps selected three players from the U.S. developmental team, and one player recently of the U.S. developmental team. “I asked [the scouts] ‘What are we doing here?” said McPhee about this trend. “Are we drafting the whole team?'”

“We made a lot of picks today,” McPhee said of the second day overall. “I don’t know those kids very well. […] It’s nice to sort of restock this year, and we’ll see how they are in a couple of years.”

Chandler Stephenson, 3rd Round, 77th Overall

With the 77th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Chandler Stephenson of the Regina Pats. Stephenson is a center/left wing and is known as a creative, skilled forward. In two years with Regina, Stephenson has scored 29 goals and notched 61 points, including a 22-goal performance this year. Stephenson’s stat line is very similar to Cody Eakin’s in his two years in the WHL before the draft, however Stephenson has more than 10 pounds of weight over Eakin already. He is 5’10 and 192 lbs.

Thomas DiPauli, 4th Round, 100th Overall

With the 100th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected center Thomas DiPauli of the US developmental program. In three years with US developmental program, DiPauli has scored 21 goals and had 62 points. He is 5’11 and 188 lbs. “Best moment of my life,” DiPauli said of the draft. “Dream come true. It was incredible.”

Austin Wuthrich, 4th Round, 107th Overall

With the 107th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Austin Wuthrich. Wuthrich is a right wing formerly of the US developmental program, now playing college hockey for Notre Dame. In 36 games with Notre Dame, Wuthrich scored 7 goals and had a total of 17 points. He is 6’1 and 190 lbs.

Connor Carrick, 5th Round, 137th Overall

With the 137th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Connor Carrick of the U.S. developmental program. Carrick is a defenseman who is known for his skating and work ethic. In two years with U.S. developmental program, Carrick scored 8 goals and had 18 points. He is 5’11 and weighs 185 lbs. “Yeah, it’s got to make going to camp and things like that easier, to see familiar faces and such,” Carrick said of having his teammates drafted alongside him. “As far as the future, I hope we can all make the team, that would be great.”

Riley Barber, 6th Round, 167th Overall

With the 167th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Riley Barber of the U.S. developmental program. Barber is a right wing and projects to be a skill player with good size. In two years in the USHL, Barber scored 34 goals and notched 63 points. He is 6’0 and 194 lbs. You can follow Barber on twitter at @rileybarber94.

Christian Djoos, 7th Round, 195th Overall

With the 195th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Christian Djoos of the Swedish under-18 league. Djoos is a defenseman who projects to be a defensively responsible player with some offensive punch. In three years in Swedish junior leagues, Djoos has scored 23 goals and had 99 points overall. He is 5’11 and weighs 158 lbs.

Jaynen Rissling, 7th Round, 197th Overall

Photo credit: Brendan Miller

With the 197th selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Jaynen Rissling of the Calgary Hitmen. Rissling had 10 goals, 52 points, and 238 PIM with the Hitmen. His uncle, Gary Rissling, played for the Capitals from 1978-81, before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Rissling is 6’4 and 223 lbs.

Sergei Kostenko, 7th Round, 195th Overall

The Capitals picked their only Russian and their only goaltender of the draft with their last pick of the day, selecting Sergei Kostenko at 203rd overall. Kostenko is a goaltender playing for Kuznetskie Medvedi in the Russian junior league, and was the third-string goalie for the World Juniors tournament this year. He is also apparently friends with Dmitry Orlov.